Vehicle-spring.



W. F. DOHERTY, JR.

VEHICLE SPRING. APPPICATION FILED AUG-21,1916.

Lfiwfim Patented July17,1917.

lllWliE WILLIAM IE. IDOHERIY, 33., OF BISBEE, ARIZONA.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

naeatca.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented any 17, rem.

Original application filed. March 3, 1916, Serial No. 81,893. Dividedand this application filed August 21,

' 1916. Seria1No.1l6,14=1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. Donnnrr, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bisbee, in "the county of Cochise and State ofArizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Springs, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to vehicle springs and constitutes a division ofmy pending application for a similar invention, filed March 3, 1916,Serial. No. 81,893.

The invention has as its primary ob ect to provide a spring which may bereadily connected to substantially any conventional type of vehicle axleto cooperate therewith for cushioning the load.

The invention has as a further object to provide a spring having a bodybar adapted to overlie the vehicle axle to be connected thereto with theleaves of the spring mounted to individually cooperate with the said barwhen compressed by the load.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a springhaving the supplemental leaves thereof free with respect to each otherwith the said leaves adapted to successively cooperate with the body barfor cushioning the load as the weight of the load is increased.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds andin the drawings wherein T have illustrated the. preferred embodiment ofthe invention and wherein similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views: 1 I Figure 1 is afront elevation of my 1mproved vehicle spring .showlng the body bar ofthe spring connected to a conventional type of vehicle axle, t

Fig. 2 is a similar view showmg a slight modification and illustrating avehicle axle formed to directly receive the spring,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a still furthermodlfication and illustrating the master leaf of the spring slungbeneath the body bar, and

Fig. l is a sectional View more part cu- 5o larly showing the mountingof the, spring leaves and the manner in which the body bar is formed tooverlie, the vehicle axle. I

In carrying out the invent1on, the spring spring is a substantiallyUshaped yoke or clip 12 and received within this clip are a plurality ofspacer blocks 13 arranged between the leaves 10 and 11. Theleaves andthe blocks are provided with mating ribs and sockets, as particularlyshown in Fig. 4c of the drawings for holding the blocks againstdisplacement as well as for holding the supplemental leaves againstlongitudinal shifting movement with respect to the clip and it will beobserved that the blocks 13 are graduated in thickness from the masterleaf toward the innermost supplemental leaf, so that the spacing betweenadjacent leaves of the spring is reduced toward the innermostsupplemental leaf.

Arranged to cooperate with the leaves of the spring is a chordal bodybar which is formed of sections 14 upon the outer eX- tremities of whichare arranged the upstanding bracketsl5. The brackets 15, at

their upper extremities, curve inwardly toward each other and pivotallyreceive links 16 having pivotal connection with the ends of the masterleaf 10 of the spring and swingingly supporting the spring upon thebody. bar. The body bar is, as particularly shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, in the 11ature of an I-beam, and the extremities of thesupplemental leaves 11 are received within the uppermost channel of thesaid bar to cooperate therewith with the side walls of the said channeladapted to hold the ends of the said leaves against lateraldisplacement. Preferably, the ends of the supplemental leaves aredeflected longitudinally to provide lugs or bearing portions adapted toengage within the said channel.

The spring,-as thus constructed, is designed for connection to a vehicleaxle in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Theaxle isconventionally shown at 17 and git willjbe observed, as illustrated inFig. 4 of the drawings, that the said axle is received within thelowermost channel of the body bar of the spring with the said g, thesupplemental ileaves :11 spaced from :the 20 h tly lea-r14. The astheloadis :increased {to {necessitate :aucorresponding increase in therigidity of the. spring -;to support :the bad with equal resiliency,@the supplemental leaves will fbBJIIOVGd to successively engage :thebody)bar as the master leaf sis :flattened V candflwililrcoact with thelsaidbar to increase the migidity .Ofithe spring :in 'direct proporttion {torthe'iincrease :in .the weight. of the sl'oad. Since :the leaves of thespring :are

graduated .in length .and :thickness, ;as preeviously -.descnibed, ;andthe spacing between gt h'e said fleaves is. also igraduated, ethe(supplemental xleaves upon being moved ito coiipaerate with :thei body:bar, will successively -.coa ct with sthe .master leaf and with each:other zto igraduallly absorb :the weight of the load .without jam orjerks. V

iI-n Eig. '2 of zthe drawings, I have illustrated .afslight modificationof the invention wherein sthe spring is attached directly to 'theivehicle aide. in itl'iis modification, :the eliileaxle'is shown at :19and is provided upon-its upper aside with a suitable channel -withztliesaid axle forming the body bar of the spring. At itsextremities,the axle {is formed with upstanding :brackets -20 simi-Z-lar to the brackets 15 of the preferred form of :the invention. l hesebraokets, at their .ifreef extremities, curve inwardly to piVot- ;a llyrrec'eiye links 21,swingingly connected to --.thex.ends of the masterdeaf IQ of. the

spring wvith the said bracke'ts supp I-ti-ng ithetsupplemental springleaves '11 to r ofleet-at itheir ends -with-i-n the-channel in :the 55iupper side :of the axle. (Otherwise, "the spring of this modificationdeconstructed iin' aaclcordance with the preferred {form of itheinvention and I operates n a similar imanner. It will be seen that thepreferred construction provides an -arra-ngemen twliih may be employedin {connection with vehicles as .now :in use"while the construction ofthe modification maybe embodied in vehi- .nclesfduring the process ofmanufacture.

- In Fig. 3 of the-drawings' l have shown the manner in which the masterleaf of the spring ,Inaybe swung beneath the body bar. In thismodification, the body bar is indicated at 22. Pivotally connected tothe outer extremity of the said bar are suitable links, one of which isshown at 23. These links are arranged to depend beneath the bar and theextremities of the masterspring leaf are extended and curved around theends of the bar as shown ,at 2e to be piv- Qtally connected to the saidlinks. This mounting of the spring may, in some instances, be founddesirable and since .this modification is otherwise constructed Kill:accordance :with the ipreferred form of -the invention, ;a further(description thereof .will ,not :be given.

'Having :thus describedithe.invention, what isiolaimed asnew is: i

1. A Vehicle spring including amigiidly supported body bar, bracket armscarried therebxa amaster demf connected ltO said bracket arms, .and -:asup elemental Ileaf associated with the master :leaf and free at itsextremities, the said supplemental Ilealf being supported in spacedrelation to the master leaf and to the body {bar and :being movable toengage at Tits free extremities with the body bar to cooperate with the-master leaf .inisupporting a load.

2. A urehicle spring including .a Ibodybar, iupstanding lbrackets.canried thereby, a mas- -ter leaf connected Ito =the said brackets, and.a supplemental deaf supported in spaced relation to the masterleafandiof less thickness than the said master leaf, ithe supplementalleaf being arranged to engage the :body bar to co'operate with themaster leaf in supporting a load. I

:3. A vehicle spring includingta sectional Ebody bar, a master leafoperatively iconnected at its extremities to the-said sections,asupplemental lea'f associated with 'the master learf and -movable toengage at its extremities with the said bar sections to -cooperate with:the master leaf in supporting a load, the sections of the body 'barbeing adapted to overlie a -vehicle axle to be supported thereby inactive position,-and-means for clamping the said sections in suchposition.

4. A vehicle spring including a body bar provided with a channel,brackets carried by the sad bar, c I master leaf carried 'by the saidbrackets, and a supplemental leaf connected with the mastenlea f, theextremities ;of said supplemental leaf being received =Within the saidchannel and arranged to engage the body 'bar ;to cooperate with themaster leaf' in supportinga load.

15. The combination with a vehicle axle, of a vehicle, bodyqspringtherefor, the said spring inoluding'a body bar formed to overlie thevehicle axle, means connecting said bar -.with the said axle, a masterleaf "connected with the said bar, and a supplemental leaf associatedwith the master leaf and movable upon the flattening of the master leafto engage the said bar to cooperate with the master leaf in supporting aload.

6. A vehicle spring including a rigidly supported body bar, bracketscarried thereby, a master leaf connected to said brackets, and aplurality of supplemental leaves of graduated length associated withsaid master leaf and supported in spaced relation thereto and to eachother, the said supplemental leaves being movable under the Weight of aload upon the masterv leaf to successively engage the body bar beginning15 with the outermost supplemental leaf.

7. The combination with a vehicle axle, of a vehicle body springtherefor, said spring including brackets upstanding from the axle, amaster leaf connected to said brackets, and a supplemental leafassociated With the master leaf and having free extremities spaced fromthe axle, the supplemental leaf being movable to engage at itsextremities with the axle under the 25 weight of a load upon the masterleaf.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM F. DOHERTY, JR. a a] Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. 0.

